


LoZshots

by cherryburlesque



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Drabble Collection, Ficlet Collection, Multi, Tumblr Prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-10-14
Packaged: 2018-07-28 15:23:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7646482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryburlesque/pseuds/cherryburlesque
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of disconnected oneshots written for various prompts on tumblr. Contains multiple/various pairings from different game verses, including Shink, Zelink, Ghiralink and Zelimpa. Information about each oneshot is posted at the beginning of ever chapter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Waking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: OOT/Link's reaction to his body's changes after he wakes up as an adult.
> 
> Verse: OOT.
> 
> Characters: Link, Sheik, Navi.
> 
> Pairing: Shink, if you squint really hard.
> 
> Warnings: None.

****

I can't see. I think.

I mean, I can see, because there's colours and stuff, but I can't make out what it is I'm seeing. So I guess I can't really see.

Oh wow, my head is a mess.

I try and focus my gaze, squinting a bit in the light. It's grey, sort of muted out. And then I realise I should probably focus on what I've just been told.

Apparently, I'm old. Well, old _er_. But it still seems old. The sage, Rauru his name was I think (memory is fuzzy), said I've been asleep for seven years. But that seriously can't be right. It only feels like a couple of minutes ago that I opened the Door.

I'm staring into space like an idiot. The muted grey colours have solidified and I'm now standing in what is clearly the Temple of Time. It doesn't look any different.

"Have seven years really passed?" Navi settles on my shoulder, and I shrug.

It's the first movement I've really made since I apparently woke up in the sacred realm, and I notice for the first time how very, very high up I am.

Except my feet are still on the ground.

I stare down at my feet, wondering if they're _actually_ mine. They look way too big. And then I lift my hands up to stare at them, trying not to freak out.

They're covered in a set of gloves I don't remember putting on (or even _owning_ , for that matter), but they still look like they'd swallow Navi up in one swipe. As if to illustrate my point, she flutters down to perch on a knuckle, and I recall how just yester—no, how seven years ago she was probably the size of my fist.

Now she's tiny.

"I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time."

The voice comes from behind me, and I'm pretty sure I look like a complete idiot as I turn and flail. I was aiming for a quick twist so I could face the stranger with my sword drawn, but apparently my balance is off.

So instead of looking like a seasoned warrior, I end up landing flat on my butt with my too big hands splayed out on the floor behind me.

"Who are y—" I mean to ask the stranger his name, but my voice stops me in my tracks. It's the first time I've spoken since waking up, and the sound freaks me out.

I drag a giant hand to my throat, as though holding it will fix the strange problem, and when I swallow I feel something move against the palm of my hand. It freaks me out even more.

"Relax," the stranger says, coming to sit beside me. "This must be a shock for you."

I'm quiet for a second, before I finally gather my wits and am able to speak.

In a mighty whisper.

"What's going on? What's wrong with me?"

The stranger places a hand on my shoulder, and I tense. But Navi hasn't given me any warnings of alarm, so I guess he's okay.

"Nothing is wrong with you," he says, and I stare at my gigantic boots. "You've grown up. Your body has changed while you have been asleep."

I continue staring.

"It seems like it's a bit of a shock."

Stare.

"But you're perfectly healthy."

Stare, stare.

"It's just a shame that you were unable to go through this normally."

Mighty staring.

The stranger sighs, obviously growing impatient with my state of shock.

"Hero," he says, the title jolting me from my reverie. "This is undoubtedly a lot to take in, but you must focus for a moment. Can you give me that?"

I swallow, feeling that gross moving thing in my throat again, and nod.

He seems satisfied, and goes off on a spiel about saving the world and five temples. Five sages, yada yada.

Suddenly I feel childish for not listening to him properly.

I try to focus, but it's hard. I feel too big for myself. I feel like I'm miles off the ground and like I have no balance. My hair is hanging annoyingly in my eyes, and my feet feel like two great clubs hanging off the end of legs that shouldn't be as long as they are.

I think I'm having an identity crisis.

"Hero."

The disapproving voice halts me again, and I shake my head.

"Sorry," I say, in my alien voice. "I just…this is all really hard."

"Unfortunately, it is your fate. The sages depend—"

"No, not the sages," I interrupt impatiently. "That's easy, I don't care about that. I'm talking about _this_." I wave my hands emphatically, gesturing at myself. "This feels so wrong. I'm too big, I feel like I couldn't even walk without falling over. I've got this thing in my throat that moves and I sound like a goron!"

The stranger, Sheik (see, I was listening a bit), gives a gentle laugh.

"It would seem that you have some adjusting to do," he says, placing a hand on my shoulder again. "Come with me to Kakariko. I can teach you about your new body."

I pause, looking up at Navi for guidance. She just shrugs, which I take to mean a 'yeah', so I nod.

"Okay," my goron voice says (it sounds WAY too loud in my ears). "I probably need to learn how to fight again too."

Sheik nods, and on standing he extends a hand to help me up.

I fall over three more times before we're out of the temple.


	2. Wretched

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: SS Impa/Zelda hurt/comfort.
> 
> Verse: Skyward Sword.
> 
> Characters: Zelda, Impa.
> 
> Pairing: Zelimpa, sort of.
> 
> Warnings: None.

Zelda doesn't recall having ever felt worse in her entire life.

Her mortal life, that is.

It's certainly easy to make decisions and play the chessboard when you're an immortal entity with nothing but the survival of all creation at stake. But when you're just a girl who has grown up in a peaceful village with only a tiny community, you learn an entirely new perspective.

And Zelda isn't entirely sure she can forgive herself for this.

It isn't until she is through the gate safely and Impa has shattered the entire structure that it hits her. What she's done, who she has played, the consequences of her actions in this world.

Link.

Her best friend; the most gentle soul she's ever known, hurled into a nightmare that she herself orchestrated. And all for her own gain.

"No," Impa says in her stern voice, "you did it for us all, Your Grace."

But Zelda can't see that through the gravity of her guilt.

"I _knew_ , before I became mortal, that when the Hero came along he'd do anything for his friends…" she practically moans in regret at the spoken words. "He was just a pawn to me then…just a tool in my game to win…"

Her face is wet, and it isn't until she wipes her nose in a most un-goddess-like way on the sleeves of her dress that she realises she's crying.

"I never expected this," she whispers, staring at the shattered remains of the gate.

Here, in the ancient past, the desert is no longer a desert. It's a thriving little metropolis of mines and life forms, all buzzing around cheerfully as they mind their own business.

Perhaps it was easy for the Goddess… _for me,_ Zelda corrects herself…to see these beings as disposable. After all, a human life is just a blink to an immortal being. She probably didn't even think of what it would seem to a mortal one.

"Your Grace," Impa says, interrupting the guilt ridden reverie with a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "We must return to the Sealed Grounds. It will take us some time, and we must be there before the Hero reconstructs the remaining Gate."

Zelda is quiet for a few seconds, staring out at the lush greenery of Lanayru.

"Impa," she whispers, "how am I any better than Demise?"

Impa doesn't respond, but Zelda can practically feel the shock and horror radiating from her guardian.

"He spent the entire time using others for his advantage. That Demon Lord, most of all. How is he, though in pursuit of me, any different from Link?"

"He is evil—," Impa starts, but Zelda cuts her off with a shake of her head.

"To him, he is not," she says softly. "He is just like Link, in a way. Doing what he is told because he is commanded to. Regardless of the lives impacted upon along the way, he is just following the orders of a higher being."

Her wide, blue eyes turn to gaze imporingly up at the Sheikah, and Impa can see the tears gathered there.

"Can you even tell which of them I am talking about, when I phrase it so?" She asks quietly, the tears spilling over. "How can I call myself benevolent, when I so willingly tear apart the lives of my best friends?"

Impa stands there for a moment, clearly unsure how to proceed. Of all the things she expected of her Goddess upon her return, she never anticipated this.

"Your Grace…"

She kneels before her charge, trying to see the girl as just that—a young girl caught in a web she didn't know had been woven.

"Zelda," Impa takes one hand and places it over Zelda's, meeting her eyes with sincerity. "I may not have known your divine will before you cast your immortality aside, but I have faith that you considered the consequences and decided that it was the kindest course of action."

Zelda shudders slightly, making Impa wince internally.

That's obviously not working.

So she tries again.

"Listen to me," she says, letting a gentle tone seep into her voice. "Your Link is an exceptional young man. I don't doubt that, even if you weren't thrust into this fate before you, and even if he _had_ had a choice, he'd have followed you anyway. I was harsh on him before," she closes her eyes, slightly ashamed of herself, "but he is not a coward. He knows what must be done, and I don't doubt that he is doing it for us all, not just because he is told."

She smiles slightly at the slight upturn of Zelda's lips.

"You're right," she says softly.

"He knows what's at stake," Impa continues. "It's not just your life that is in danger. It is the life of every living thing on this world. And he will do everything he can to stop it, simply because he will not let the world fall into the hands of evil."

Zelda nods, and lifts her eyes to the sky, heaving out a long heavy sigh.

"I still feel so wretched for turning him into a weapon like I have," she says softly.

"He will forgive you." The conviction is so strong that even Zelda believes it. "If you must, you can tell him of this and apologise to him when you see him again at the Temple. But we must arrive there before him so you are prepared."

After a moments silence, Zelda nods again and stands, brushing the dust from the future desert off her dress.

And then she turns to Impa, wrapping her arms around her lithe frame. Impa seems surprised, but she returns the gesture, before leaning down to press a lingering kiss to Zelda's forehead.

"Come," she says, taking Zelda's small hand in her own. "We have a long journey ahead of us."

"Alright," Zelda says, feeling somewhat better. "Let's go to the Temple."


	3. Waiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Angsty Malink
> 
> Verse: OOT
> 
> Characters: Malon, Link
> 
> Pairing: Malink
> 
> Warnings: Sexual references.

For most of her life, her time was dedicated to waiting.

When she first met him, she was waiting for her father to return from the castle.

When her father returned and took her back to the Ranch, mumbling apologies that made her giggle, she waited for the day that the tension between her father and Ingo would boil over.

She waited for her fathers mare to give birth to a foal that would be her very own. She waited for the foal to grow old enough that she could begin befriending it. A friend of her very own.

When she saw him again, she was out in the field, singing to her best friend. She waited for him to learn her song, and when her best friend decided she liked the boy, she decided she'd wait for him too.

When the world turned dark and nothing was safe anymore, she waited, knowing that he'd come back for her and free her of the hell she'd been through.

She waited for seven whole years.

He returned and freed her best friend, and liberated the ranch of the tyranny that befell it in the wake of the usurper king. She asked him to stay with her, but was denied. He told her that he had a job to do, and that when he was done, he'd bring back the horse and stay with her on the ranch.

When he returned from Kakariko after the fire that razed the village, he was horribly injured. She'd waited for weeks, but that was nothing.

She nursed him back to health, soothing his wounds and his nightmares, waiting for him to gain strength enough to carry on with his task.

She waited for the strength to tell him how she felt, and when it came, she could see how torn he was. So she asked him for a night together, where they could forget the world and its troubles and just enjoy each other. He agreed.

It was the best night of her life.

And when he left again, she waited for him to come back.

When she realised she was three weeks late for her monthly bleed, she didn't know what to do. She waited for advice from the goddesses; for some kind of guidance that would set her on the right path. She waited for her father to throw her out for being with child out of wedlock, but that never came.

She would never forget the look of happiness on her fathers face when she revealed who it was she had given herself to.

Over the course of the following months, she began to wait for the signs of life within her. They steadily grew, and she sang to the child, telling him (for she had always dreamed for a boy) stories of his father.

As she watched the great races of Hyrule regain their feet one by one, she waited for the end of the war.

When it came, and celebrations were held all over the kingdom, she travelled to Castle Town where the biggest party was held. There, she waited for him to be presented to the people.

He wasn't.

So she returned to the ranch, where he knew she would always be.

Waiting for her child came to its end. He was born during the Winter after the Liberation. She sent word to the castle, hoping to find him there. She waited for a letter back, but when it came, it was a note in elegant handwriting, saying nothing but three words.

_He has left._

She never believed that. He had to know, deep down, that his son was now waiting for him too. He would never leave without seeing her first.

When her horse was returned to her, she wept.

And for all the years she lived, watching her son grow with sandy blonde hair and vibrant blue eyes, she never gave up waiting for him.

But she never saw him again.


	4. Downtime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Some cute, fluffy Shink.
> 
> Verse: OOT.
> 
> Characters: Sheik, Link.
> 
> Pairing: Shink.
> 
> Warnings: Mild sexual references.

_"_ Get up, Hero."

Link groaned at the title, turning his head slightly to give a dishevelled glare at the pair of feet in front of his face.

"It's past sunrise. We have to move on if we want to reach the border before noon."

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that."

A pause.

And then the one of the feet he could see deftly nudged his forehead.

"Get up, Link."

Amusement laced the words, and with an exasperated sigh, Link sat up, rubbing his eyes and letting out an obnoxiously loud yawn.

"I thought all this 'rise with the sun' crap was over with when I finished my job," he said grumpily, sliding out of his bedroll to trudge over to the cooling embers of the fire. There, he picked up one of the sticks that had some kind of dead animal skewered to the end.

A soft laugh followed these words, and Sheik sat down beside him, a handful of the various wraps and cloth in his lap.

"It was, until you decided you needed to travel some more. You might be the Hero of Time, but it still applies to you."

Link gave him a sidelong, half hearted glare as Sheik began deftly wrapping his arms and fingers.

"Smartass."

Sheik just grinned through his cowl, not at all concerned with the mouthy language coming from his partner. Link was always, without fail, exceedingly irritable when he woke up. It usually passed after he had something to eat.

Sometimes, Sheik was positive that Link's entire emotional state revolved around food and sleep.

He focused on tying off the wraps around his fingers, when a warm nudge broke him from the reverie.

"Hey," Link's voice was soft. "What do you think we'll find when we get back to Hyrule?"

Sheik paused, and gazed off in the direction where the sun was steadly rising. "I don't know," he replied. "It's been three years. Zelda is probably Queen now; I'd heard that she finally found a suitable man to wed."

They both chuckled good naturedly. It would have taken a very unique man to catch the Princess's eye, and an incredibly brave one to continue to court her until she accepted his hand.

"She's going to badger your ear off," Link said cheerfully. "Try to make you her Queensguard again. And I'll be laughing every time she brings it up."

"She's going to try and make you General," Sheik shot back. "And I'm not going to leap to your defence again."

They laughed, comfortable silence falling between them as Link finished off his breakfast and moved to collect his clothes.

"Come for a swim with me?" There was a playful gleam in Link's eyes when Sheik turned to meet them, and he gave a huff of annoyance.

"I just finished dressing."

"Yeah, but I'm an expert at getting those clothes off, aren't I?"

Sheik couldn't help it. He flushed. "Yes, but you're atrocious at putting them back on. And that will delay us even further."

"Whine, whine," Link waved him off, and gathered his clothes in a heap to trudge down to the nearby stream.

Sheik sighed, and turned back to the remains of the fire. On force of habit, he pulled out one of his knives and began sharpening it deftly, waiting for Link to finish.

It was probably only about five minutes later that he realised he hadn't heard the telltale splash of water that signified Link's divebomb.

Sheik straightened, and as soon as he did, a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around his arms, before he found himself thrown over Link's shoulder.

"Put me DOWN!"

"Nope! You're coming for a swim!"

"Since when did you become so quiet anyway? Put me _down_ or by the _three_ you are going to regret it!"

"Since I spent five years hanging around a Sheikah!" Link cackled gleefully.

Sheik struggled hard, but he'd been caught with his guard down. Link's grip was like iron, and try as he might, he couldn't get free.

Link laughed, and Sheik cursed and shouted, all the way down to the stream.

"Timber!"

And Link lobbed his Sheikah, clothes and all, straight into the middle of the creek.


	5. Fading

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Ghiralink hurt/comfort.
> 
> Verse: Skyward Sword.
> 
> Characters: Ghirahim, Link.
> 
> Pairing: Mild Ghiralink
> 
> Warnings: None.

He'd lost track of time by the time he was found. It could have been hours. Weeks, months, years, he wouldn't have the slightest clue. Retaining a half object/half physical form has a tendency to do that.

He couldn't really recall where he was either. Undergrowth, probably, judging by the dampness. Not that he could feel it. The dirt just had that sticky looking quality it tended to gain when there was too much moisture in the air.

But he was tethered here until someone came to free him from his endless bind.

So Ghirahim let his mind haze over, and waited.

_Footsteps. Something coming closer. Some_ one _coming closer. The ground around him shifting._

_Daylight._

He probably looked a sight, Ghirahim mused internally as he tried to blink away the blinding light that filled his vision. Barely corporeal, stuck between his sword form and demon form. No mantle or clothes, just the black of obsidian working its way up until it encircled the diamond that still shone visibly from his chest.

Instinctively, he curled to protect it.

He heard an intake of breath, and hissed when a ghostly sensation of someone trying to touch him brushed through him. Not that he could really do much in this position. His sword was still entirely visible, a physical form underneath him, whereas he was just a half ghost thing.

"Ghirahim?"

Oh, that foolish boy. It was bad enough that he haunted Ghirahim's mind endlessly, but now he had to show up too? What sort of injustice was this?

"Save your breath, Sky Brat," he tried to sound dignified, but it came out as an embarrassingly weak sounding whine.

"You're hurt though, what happened to you?"

One dark eye opened to fix the hero with an icy glare.

" _You_ happened."

"Oh."

This was completely torturous. Here he was, stuck in a sickeningly vulnerable position, enduring the company of the very person he probably hated most in the world right now.

Well, maybe not quite hate.

Actually, no, it wasn't hate at all. It was something else that Ghirahim couldn't put his finger on.

"But you…what is happening to you now?" Was it him, or was there a hint of concern in the hero's voice?

Ghirahim snorted, and tried to move into a sitting position. He failed.

"I'm dying, I expect," he said, feeling somewhat better now that his voice had retained a smooth aloofness to it. "Unforeseen side effect of fleeing like a coward in order to escape the very same thing. How ironic."

"Dying?" Link peered over him. "But you're…not…Fi can't die, and you're the same as her, so why are you dying?"

"I am _not_ like that robot," Ghirahim spat. "I was bound to my weapon while I was a living, breathing entity. Therefore when that bond is severed, I die."

"But your sword is…"

"Will you stop asking questions!" It took far too much energy to simply raise his voice at that. He was finally beginning to fade.

Silence fell on them again, the only sound being Ghirahim's ragged, unnecessary breaths.

"Can I help?"

At this, Ghirahim couldn't help but let loose a snort of derision. How undignified. "I highly doubt you would be a willing participant of the only thing that can save me now."

"How do you know that?" The tone was challenging. It reminded him of the first time they had met in the Temple in the Forest. Link had openly challenged him, completely unaware of what he was getting himself into.

Well, they say history is doomed to repeat himself.

"The only way I can be spared," Ghirahim said coolly, "is by being bound to a new master."

Silence.

Thought so.

He was beginning to feel the first twinges of pain now, as his spirit slowly tore itself away from the physical form of the sword. His eyes were closed, not interested in seeing the pitying expression on Link's face.

There was a slight scuffing sound, and another ghostly touch along his shoulder.

"What would you do if I said I'd do it?"

Both of Ghirahim's mismatched eyes (one dark, reminiscent of his demon self, the other a completely stark white) shot open, and for the first time he managed to turn slightly to stare at the sky child with abject shock.

"My first question would be _why?"_

Link shrugged, staring at the ground in front of him. "We aren't that different. Sure, we were both working for the enemy, but neither of us had much choice. You were forced to by whatever bond you have with that sword and Demise, and I was led on a wild goose chase by circumstances outside my control. I thought about it a lot after I realised you disappeared before Demise was sealed. That's why I decided to come look for you."

For the first time in his entire existence, Ghirahim was speechless.

Link shrugged again. "It's your choice. You can either do what you have to do to save your own life, with me as a willing participant, or you can let yourself die here. Either way, I'll hang around."

Ghirahim closed his eyes, and weighed up his options.

The entire reason he had fled the battlefield when Demise went down was because he didn't want to die. And now here on the brink of death, redemption had come for him.

In the hands of the very human he had fought so hard to subdue for so long.

Perfect irony.

And so Ghirahim opened his eyes and an expression came to his face that he was certain had not been for millennia.

He smiled.


	6. Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Sheik's opinion (separate from Zelda, whether as a completely separate body or soul within Zelda, your choice) on Zelda's relationship with Link in an AU where Zelink is totally canon.
> 
> Verse: Post OOT.
> 
> Characters: Sheik, Zelda, Link.
> 
> Pairing: Zelink. Zesheik or Shink or Shezelink depending on how you want to interpret it.
> 
> Warnings: None.

_This is how it's meant to be._

Sheik tells himself this like a mantra, every time he lays eyes on the pair of them.

They are extremely formal, of course. Courting the Heir to the Throne is most definitely not a whirlwind affair. It takes time and patience, and a whole lot of piety on both their parts.

In public, they are only ever seen with her hand resting on the crook of his elbow. They share polite conversation, peppered with nothing but dull, hoity toity flowery language and matters that have absolutely nothing to do with ruling a kingdom.

In private, they are marginally less formal. He drops the Royal title, and she stops calling him 'Sir'. They talk about the affairs of the country, how it's recovering and other such things. Things sometimes become a bit more personal; they talk about her time in hiding, his time battling all manners of evil, and how he is coping with the confines of royal life.

It's usually during these moments that they allow themselves to give in to their instincts. They never go further than a tender kiss; that would cause a royal scandal. But Sheik knows the passion is there, simmering under the surface.

Neither of them give into it. They can't allow themselves to. She's far too indoctrinated into the behaviours of a Princess Regent, and he's just too noble.

How does Sheik know this?

Because he's always there. Never visible, unless he wants to be, but present nonetheless. He's her Royal Guardian now, with Impa ascended. As the last of the Sheikah, Zelda offered him the position as a token of her gratitude for his aid during the Seven Year War. As such, she is never out of his sight, save for when they are sleeping. Even then, he's never far away.

So he knows everything, and he knows they are both aware of it.

_This is how it's meant to be._

Of course, when the Hero defeated the evil that descended upon the land and freed the people of their enslavement, he was immediately offered all manner of riches and wealth. Most, he turned down, but the High Council had insisted on Knighting him, making him a noble and General of the shattered Hyrulian Army. From there, they began to hedge for an engagement between him and the Princess.

The public thoroughly approved of course. Who could possibly be a better match for the Princess of Light, than the Hero of Time himself?

Sheik couldn't help but agree. It was a perfect arrangement. They were to be wed in the summer in a public ceremony that the entire kingdom would be welcome to attend.

When either of them asked him about it, he simply nodded and gave a wan smile through his cowl.

"This is how it's meant to be," he'd reply in an even voice.

That didn't stop him from resenting it. Not because he thought they would be bad for each other, no, this was for entirely selfish reasons. But he schooled himself and shoved the emotions away, remaining stoic and dignified whenever he allowed himself to be seen.

In private, however, Sheik would find himself lamenting a loss he didn't know he could feel. It wasn't the same as when he had lost Impa; that had been a quick and expected outcome, and he was glad that she was in a position among the Sages. This was different. An ache deep in his heart that he rarely ever acknowledged.

On the outside, he remained calm. Even happy for the engaged couple when duty demanded it. He betrayed no sign of the inner turmoil that raged below the surface of his hardened exterior, and if he ever did allow it to flow through, he'd climb up to the tallest spire of the castle and hurl himself off.

The worst part of it all was, however, the fact that he could never figure out which of the two he was grieving the loss of.

_This is how it is meant to be._


	7. Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Two words: Link and Pain.
> 
> Verse: Skyward Sword.
> 
> Characters: Link.
> 
> Pairing: None.
> 
> Warnings: None.

The Hero was used to pain. It came with the territory, the task he had to undertake. The pain of wounds sustained during battle; the pain of the scorching sun on on his skin as he trudged his way through the desert; pain suffered alongside tired muscles, fatigue and dehydration.

Even before he was chosen as the Goddess's hero, Link was used to pain. The bullies at the Knights Academy picked on his insecurities whenever they could, trying to hurt him for their own satisfaction.

Yes, physical and emotional pain was commonplace for Link these days.

But there was one form of pain he had never experienced before. Until now.

That of the soul. A hurt so deep and draining that he finds himself now struggling to place one foot in front of the other. Weariness and despair accompany this, making his vision cloud and his shield and sword seem suddenly very, very heavy.

It's not failure, he knows this. He knows he hasn't failed yet. There is still so much to do and there is still hope.

But right now he hurts too much to be able to think about it clearly.

This hurt is something that drags him down where he feels like no one will ever find him.

Because he had fought. He'd fought so hard, suffered so much pain in all of its forms almost to the brink of collapse for only one purpose. Save his best friend.

But then he had learned that he was only partly her friend. She had a bigger purpose to fulfil, something much greater than he could ever imagine in his dream-filled days in Skyloft. She'd admitted that she used him.

She hadn't even allowed him to give her a hug, if only to reassure himself that she was alright.

And then she'd asked more of him, and sealed herself away where she will remain until he succeeds.

It suddenly seems too big. Everything is too big. What if he fails? She'd be stuck inside that seal forever, until Demise claims her or the world fades to dust.

Too much. It hurts to think about.

Link exits the sealed temple with barely a word to Groose or the old lady, and finds himself on the edge of the pit where the Imprisoned stews. It's quiet here at the moment. No quacking ground, no immediate danger.

But he still has to carry on. Even though he feels like at the moment it hurts too much to do so. He has to.

Because at the very least, he made a promise to her father.

And Link had never been one for broken promises.


	8. Curiosity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curiosity.
> 
> Prompt: Ghiralink gemplay.
> 
> Verse: Skyward Sword.
> 
> Characters: Link, Ghirahim.
> 
> Pairing: Ghiralink.
> 
> Warnings: Smut.

If the phrase 'give a man a fish, he'll feed for a day; teach a man to fish he will feed for a life time', had any iota of truth, this was probably it.

Actually, the phrase probably had a bit more truth if it was reworded slightly.

'Tell a man a kink, he'll be curious for a minute. Show a man your biggest E-Zone, he'll have you on your back faster than you can blink with the most wicked looking glint in his eyes that you have ever seen.'

Yes, that's marginally more accurate.

If you were to ask either of them how it came to this, one would probably flush a little and wave it off, and the other would go into a long winded rant about the first time they ever met, right through til now.

Not that that was important, really.

All that mattered was that, for the first time since being bound to Demise, Ghirahim found himself willingly submitting to the ministrations of another.

Since being bound to Link, who had saved him from certain death, Ghirahim had calmed somewhat. Sure, he still had his bouts of maniacal anger, but they were more often tantrums than not these days.

And as time wore on, the pair of them became closer.

And closer still.

Until they became as close as two living beings could get. Often.

On one occasion, Link had asked Ghirahim what he enjoyed. And without even thinking, he'd blurted it out in a haze of post-orgasmic bliss.

Of course, Link's never ceasing curiosity brought them to where they were.

Initially, Link had been nervous. He knew of the very weakness that single point in Ghirahim's body was privy to, but at the same time, it was a highly sensitive area, and he wanted to explore it.

So in a rare moment of dominance, Link had managed to subdue the demon and allow the large, sparkling diamond in his chest to appear with a partial transformation.

Instantly, Link had descended upon it, and was fascinated with the way it managed to reduce the demon to barely more than a gasping mess.

"Lie on your back." It was a command, and in Ghirahim's hazy state, he was in no mood to disobey.

From the new position, with Link straddling him, it was much easier for them to both gain satisfaction. Link was too short to be comfortable with Ghirahim on top of him, and with the positions reversed he found a blessed medium where their hips met and Ghirahim's chest was at mercy to Link's mouth.

"I'm not fragile," Ghirahim hissed through gritted teeth as Link trailed his tongue along the contours of the shining gem. "Stop being so soft."

Link glanced up, eyes gleaming in the semi-darkness. "I know," came the breathy reply. "I just like teasing you."

"Brat."

Link laughed quietly, and ran his fingers around the edges of the diamond, where the skin met the tough exterior of metal. With a curve, his fingernails dug deep, eliciting a hiss of pleasure from the demon beneath him. His other hand flicked it lightly, causing a shudder to run through the other, and the moan that followed was positively musical.

While Ghirahim was busy mumbling nonsense, Link lowered his mouth again, dragging his teeth along the sharp edges of the protrusion before following the motion with a swipe of his tongue.

He could feel the demon's need against his hips, matching his own (which delighted Link), and he rolled their hips together with a hum.

"Never…thought I'd see you such a bumbling mess, Demon Lord," Link managed between heavy breaths, and Ghirahim practically snarled in reply. It made him grin even more. "Who would have thought that the elegant, poised figure who followed me all over the land could make noises like this…" A flick to the gem, making Ghirahim groan, "and this," a bite, followed by a sharp intake of breath, "and _this,"_ and he rolled their hips together as he rubbed his fingers around the outsides of the gem, mouth still upon it.

Ghirahim's back arched and his hands finally found purchase in Link's hair. He was too far gone to bother with a reply, so he simply let out a long, guttural moan that had Link jerking his hips against him again.

Their movements became almost frenzied, Ghirahim's nails digging into Link's shoulders, while Link brought one hand between them, grasping them together as he began to jerk roughly.

It didn't take long before Ghirahim reached his peak. Even with all of his experience, he'd never allowed someone to touch him this way, and the sparks of fire that shot up and down his nervous system with every touch to his chest had him jarring for climax within minutes.

He came with a sharp cry that neither of them had heard before, and Link followed soon after, delicious friction bringing him to the edge with nothing but a quiet hum.

His fingers still traced the diamond lightly, causing Ghirahim to shudder with overstimulation, and eventually he stopped, propping himself up on his elbows.

"That was fun," he said with a smugness that definitely gave away the boost to his ego.

"Brat." It was all Ghirahim could manage at the moment.

"We should do it again."

There was a pause, as Link pulled a clean towel off the end of the bed and cleaned them both off.

When he shifted so he could collapse on his back beside Ghirahim, there was a short grunt of mirth.

"I wholeheartedly agree, Sky Child."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up goes the rating, lol.


End file.
